Chapter 280 Career
Di Jiangtong was naturally joking with Zhou Xiao. Ever since the release of the photo album, not only her various social media accounts, but even her studio account profile pictures had been changed to images from the photo album. Even passersby could clearly see that she liked the photos.
Even under the blog posts that Di Jiangtong posted recently, there would be comments from fans making fun of how she loved him so much, and she would often be exposed once or twice.
Singers aren't actors; without a strong sense of conviction, they often get nervous and forget their lines when facing a live camera. However, the banter between the two created a relaxed atmosphere, and Di Jiangtong naturally immersed himself in the filming, just as Zhou Xiao needed.
The main song of Di Jiangtong's new album is a love song. Different from those high-sounding songs that she sang for TV dramas and movies in the past, this time the song is more about herself and written for herself.
When Zhou Xiao arrived, the set was already set up. A sprinkler truck stood ready, ready to begin its day of watering at the photographer's command.
After the inspection, with a "begin" call, Di Jiangtong's upcoming new song played on the set. This was Di Jiangtong's style of shoot, a small comfort zone where she could relax.
The summer heat was still relentless, and in the square, students were running through the rain toward the school building. A pale arm reached out to the boy's head, the school jacket around his waist acting as an umbrella for both of them.
The innocent exchange of glances and the hastily averted gazes seemed to unleash a surge of intense hormones the moment the harmony joined in. Under the sun and rain, it was a youthful love song of mutual smiles.
"Card, add another one!"
A calm voice echoed from the front, and the two people staring at each other were immediately wrapped in towels by the staff who gathered around them. Almost instantly, the hair dryer that was waiting nearby whirred into action.
This was already the eighth take. Zhou Xiao and Di Jiangtong had discussed it beforehand, deciding to keep a few more takes to ensure they had enough footage for editing later, in order to perfectly complement the shooting angles for each scene.
"How's it going? Do you think my eye contact is good enough for a film?" Di Jiangtong asked Zhou Xiao, who had already moved to the computer. This shoot was a pleasant one; even though there were so many takes, she didn't feel tired at all.
The person she was filming with was a trainee the company was about to send to a talent show. Besides being free, it also allowed him to ride on her popularity. Although he was still a college student, this music video shoot was all about that youthful energy.
"..." Zhou Xiao was silent for a moment, then emphasized, "This is the eighth time."
She didn't say anything else, but the meaning was clear enough. Luckily, this was a music video shoot. As long as there was enough material, Zhou Xiao could edit the idol into a talented artist.
"Haha, the new song is good~" Di Jiangtong, who was waiting for his assistant to get new clothes, sat down next to Zhou Xiao. The water droplets on his clothes had been wiped off, but there were still some half-dried water stains.
Zhou Xiao raised an eyebrow, thinking the other party had other intentions. But then she nodded in agreement, quite content. "It's nice, especially the harmony."
Di Jiangtong couldn't help but laugh out loud, his eyes lit up with a bit of high spirits. He even said with a hint of pride, "Is this good enough? There will be even better ones later!"
Zhou Xiao looked at Di Jiangtong in surprise, and then seemed to catch something in his mind, but he couldn't describe it for a while.
"When?" She silently pondered these three words. As the melody of the song rang in her ears again, Zhou Xiao, lost in thought, felt as if she had grasped a flash of inspiration. She then looked at Di Jiangtong with some surprise.
Ji Shaohe's harmony was on this song, and Zhou Xiao had already recognized it the moment he sent her the track. Ji Shaohe's recognizable, clear voice perfectly complemented Di Jiangtong's. The addition of the harmony to this already captivating love song added a touch of wonder and depth. When their voices gradually blended together, it was a truly heavenly melody.
Based on Zhou Xiao's assessment of Di Jiangtong's personality, her words clearly indicated she was quite comfortable working with Ji Shao. It was even possible they had become friends, otherwise she would have at least been more official and praised Ji Shao in front of Zhou Xiao.
Combining this with what Zhang Hongyu had previously revealed, Zhou Xiao could tell that Ji Shao had also invited Di Jiangtong to collaborate on his new song. Furthermore, she suspected that Di Jiangtong would also be collaborating on the backing vocals. Otherwise, he wouldn't have specifically mentioned the backing vocals, boasting to her that there were even better ones.
Meanwhile, Di Jiangtong, unaware that an undercover agent had already revealed this to Zhou Xiao, carefully observed his expression. But seeing Zhou Xiao's sudden realization... what did this mean? Could he have guessed it?
Speaking of which, Di Jiangtong and Ji Shao's collaboration was actually facilitated by Zhou Xiao. When assistant Song Xiao helped Di Jiangtong find Zhou Xiao for the shoot, she had this in mind. Although she later left Xincheng to join a new company, Song Xiao still had the contact information for her new agent.
The opportunity for this collaboration came about by chance. Di Jiangtong's manager posted on WeChat Moments early in the morning that he couldn't find a suitable backing vocalist. This was spotted by Song Xiao, who was watching Ji Shao film a night scene. With the right timing, location, and people, the two of them were able to exchange vocal resources, saving them from the hassle of exchanging interests and arguing favors.
"Wait, why do you look a little strange to me?" Di Jiangtong muttered. She wanted to see Zhou Xiao's surprised expression. But now it seemed a little mysterious.
Di Jiangtong seemed to remember that Ji Shao's new song hadn't been released yet, right? Otherwise, her manager would have used her account to repost Ji Shao's song and promote it.
Zhou Xiao didn't respond. Instead, he pointed at the assistant holding the clothes behind him and said to Di Jiangtong, "Go change your clothes. This is the last shoot."
…
Over the next few days, Zhou Xiao kept filming the scene over and over again, even shooting a bicycle scene thirteen times, all for the final presentation of the MV.
This evening, the final scene will be filmed. After a few days of working together, Zhou Xiao and the crew have developed a rapport. There was a small incident at the end of the first day of filming. The assisting photographers, upon realizing that Zhou Xiao didn't have the bad habits of some older photographers, began to pretend to obey, even deserting the set mid-shoot.
Zhou Xiao, mistakenly perceived as a good girl with no social experience, immediately gave these seasoned veterans a lesson. Not only did she directly ask Di Jiangtong's agent to replace the photography team, she also immediately rented a professional crew from a nearby studio.
For an agent, the photographer is everything. Previously, she might have hesitated, worried about humiliating her family. But after Zhou Xiao's photo shoot for Di Jiangtong went viral, she felt that he was the only person with the final say on the set.
Zhou Xiao, considered a pushover, paid no heed to the complicated looks from the seasoned crowd. To her, the photography team was merely a tool. If the tool tried to take advantage of her, she'd just swap it out. If all else failed, she could still go it alone.
"Teacher Zhou, we're all set!" Zhou Xiao heard the assistant's voice from the other side and made an OK gesture. He raised the camera and the filming officially began.
The sun gradually set, painting the sky an incredibly beautiful orange-red sunset glow. The boy at the signpost clenched his movie ticket and glanced over to see the girl chatting and laughing with her friend.
The boy was touched by the girl's smile, his nervous heart pounding, but it gradually returned to normal. Then, realizing he'd been a third wheel, the girl quickly left the room. Their eyes met, and time seemed to stand still. Then, the fluttering of skirts, the wind-swept hair, and the gentle embrace of a dragonfly skimming the water—the sunset was their witness.
…
That night, an eye-protection lamp was on in the study. It wasn't particularly bright, but it was just right for Zhou Xiao. The speakers on the desk were playing the music video. When the tail sound faded completely, a pre-edited video of the beat was sent out.
Di Jiangtong, who is now a big OST producer, is not in a hurry to release this album. All the OSTs she released in the past six months can be included in one album.
Although everything is ready except the music video, it is not a big problem if she doesn't do it. After all, this shoot is more for herself, to fulfill a dream.
Di Jiangtong, lazily sitting on the sofa in her living room, listening to her manager's daily "lectures," was more surprised when she received the first version of the music video from Zhou Xiao. But if she knew how much time Zhou Xiao spent editing "Flowering Journey," she would definitely understand.
"Fast!" was Di Jiangtong's first impression of Zhou Xiao. Whether shooting photos or music videos, his speed was unmatched by anyone in the industry. And even at this speed, it didn't affect the quality of the finished film at all.
With a mixture of trepidation and excitement, Di Jiangtong quickly walked into the room, isolating herself from the rest of the team. Because she trusted Zhou Xiao, she wanted to listen to the song's music video carefully and attentively.
"What's wrong with the little girl?" The agent who was giving her love "education" looked at his girl's back as she looked down at her phone and hurriedly walked towards the room, a puzzled look emerged on his face.
The young assistant on the other sofa shook his head when he heard it and said, "I don't know, is Sister Tong..." The second half of the sentence was almost in a floating voice.
The agent squinted at him and said, "Are you in a relationship? That's a good thing! If you really want to date, then even if we break up, we can still easily write love songs!"
"Ah?" The assistant was confused.
——"Wow!"
As they were talking, Di Jiangtong's excited exclamation suddenly rang out from inside the room. The two of them exchanged glances and ran towards the room. Just as they were about to knock on the door to inquire about what was going on, it opened automatically.
Behind the open door, Di Jiangtong appeared, a look of surprise on her face. She held up her phone, the screen facing them. However, due to the privacy screen, they couldn't see what was on the screen. But the two people at the door could clearly hear the music coming from the phone. It was the soon-to-be-released new song they had listened to at least a few hundred times recently.
"The MV is out!" Di Jiangtong, as if realizing something just now, retracted his hand, ripped off the privacy film on his phone, and stuffed the phone into his agent's hands, "Look!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
